Artist’s concept shows NASA’s Parker Solar Probe touching the sun. Parker Solar Probe was closest to the sun at 11:53:48 UTC (5:53:48 a.m. CST) December 24, 2024. It came within 3.86 million miles (6.2 million km) of our star. That was an exciting day for humanity! Image via NASA.The 2025 EarthSky Lunar Calendar is now available! A unique and beautiful poster-sized calendar. Makes a great New Year’s gift. Get yours today!